Regulating Reproduction

child with Down's syndrome. The case allows the authors to raise many of the issues that are then explored in more detail in subsequent chapters. The conclusion picks up the story of the same family and reviews many of the complex issues raised in the book. Each chapter of the book explores an issue related to prenatal testing, beginning with the first chapter, which reviews basic genetics. The second chapter describes the more common tests, such as alpha-fetoprotein, amniocentesis, and ultrasound. These tests are carefully explained with regard to their purpose, limitations, and risks. This chapter also includes an explanation of less commonly used tests such as chorionic villus sampling and DNA analysis, which gives readers some sense of where the field is headed. In the third chapter, the authors review the prevalence, genetics, and natural history of selected genetic disorders such as Down's syndrome, sickle-cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs disease, and spina bifida. It is not completely clear why these conditions were selected, but, through the discussion of these disorders, the authors provide information that could be helpful in making important reproductive decisions. The fourth and fifth chapters, which deal with ethical and legal issues, should be useful to lay readers and to health professionals as well. The authors confront issues such as abortion, use of genetic technologies for questionable practices such as gender screening, equity in access to advanced technologies, and problems with errors in testing. Legal issues, discussed in the last chapter, are also reviewed in a clear and direct fashion. In summary, the book is a well-conceived, well-written survey of the rapidly changing landscape of prenatal testing for a general audience. The goal of the authors is to inform parents and potential parents about genetic disorders in order to assist them in their reproductive decisions. The volume could be useful as a teaching resource for health professionals faced with explaining these issues to parents. The discussion of ethical and legal issues may be especially valuable for health professionals, whose training may have focused more on the technical aspects of prenatal testing. The rapid changes in the field of prenatal testing will, no doubt, place an ever-increasing demand on health care professionals to be versed in these ethical and legal areas.